The witch’s voice wouldn’t stop echoing inside my skull.
"The only way back to your world is if the Alpha falls in love with you..."
That single sentence clung to like a curse, repeating itself with every breath I took. Even now, as I sat by the window of the ogas’ quarters, the dawn light spilling weakly through the cracked panes, those words pulsed behind my eyelids. They haunted . They ruled .
And maybe... they were destroying .
I had promised myself that I wouldn’t go near him again that I’d stay far away from his madness, from the way his presence twisted my mind and left trembling. But every ti I tried to rest, every ti I closed my eyes, I saw the witch’s sunken face, those hollow eyes glowing like dying embers.
"Make him love you, or die here forever."
That was the deal. That was my prison.
And so the next morning, I woke up before the others. I didn’t eat, didn’t speak, didn’t breathe properly until I reached the Alpha’s quarter again. My body moved on instinct one that wasn’t entirely my own anymore. Fear guided . Hope chained . When I reached his door, I hesitated. My reflection trembled faintly on the polished wood. My lips were pale. My eyes looked hollow. I barely recognized the person staring back.
What am I doing? A whisper in the back of my mind laughed a soft, cruel sound that didn’t belong to . The witch.
"Inner Voice: "You’re learning, little flower. Fear makes love bloom faster."
I wanted to scream. Instead, I knocked.
There was no answer at first. Just silence the kind of silence that made your heart skip and stumble. I reached for the doorknob, aning to set the breakfast tray down and leave before he noticed . But the mont my fingers brushed the tal, a voice slid into my head like a shadow.
"Inner Voice: "She’s early again... persistent little thing."
I froze. His inner voice. The crazy psycho won’t live alone.
My throat tightened as I slowly pushed the door open. He was there sitting on the sofa, shirt half-unbuttoned, hair damp as if he’d just washed it. The sight of him made the air feel heavier, sharper. His eyes lifted lazily, cutting through the morning haze, pinning in place.
I bowed slightly. "Good morning, Alpha," I whispered, keeping my eyes on the floor.
He didn’t respond aloud. But his thoughts did.
"Inner Voice: "She still flinches when I look at her. Good. Fear keeps her alive."
I clenched my fists. My pulse roared in my ears.
I wanted to run, but the witch’s voice pressed through my fear.
"Stay close. Make him notice you."
So I took a step closer.
"I... made you breakfast," I managed to say. "It’s still warm."
He didn’t move. Didn’t even blink. The silence between us stretched so thin I could hear the crackle of the fireplace across the room. Then, finally, his chair scraped the floor. He stood.
I stiffened, heart hamring.
He walked toward slowly each step deliberate, asured, predatory. I felt the air shift with him. When he stopped right in front of , I could feel the heat of his body, sll the faint scent of iron and pine that always lingered around him.
"Inner Voice: "She’s trembling again... But she ca anyway."
I nearly gasped out loud. I had to bite my tongue to keep from reacting.
His gaze dropped to the tray in my hands. "You made this yourself?" His tone was quiet, unreadable.
I nodded quickly. "Y–Yes, Alpha."
He humd a sound low enough to rattle my bones and turned away, taking his seat again. He began to eat, movents slow, controlled, while I stood there uselessly, afraid to breathe too loudly.
"Inner voice: "Still watching. Always watching. She doesn’t know how fragile she looks."
He didn’t know I heard that, but it made my heart twist painfully.
Because sowhere, beneath all the terror, sothing strange stirred in . Sothing that felt too much like curiosity... or worse, longing.
Why did his voice sound so different when it wasn’t real? Why did his inner words carry warmth his spoken ones never had? When he finished eating, he looked up, his expression unreadable. "You may go."
I turned quickly, bowing, trying to hide the tremor in my hands.
"Inner Voice: "She’ll co back again tomorrow. She can’t help it."
I wanted to deny it to scream that I wasn’t so puppet of his twisted thoughts but deep down, I already knew he was right.
That night, I lay awake on my mattress, staring into the darkness. The other ogas had long fallen asleep, their soft snores filling the air. But I couldn’t rest. My mind kept replaying everything the witch’s voice, Zach’s words, his eyes.
Make him love you.
The more I thought about it, the more it tore at . Love? With him? The man who could strangle soone just for breathing too loudly? The sa Alpha who watched like a hunter waiting for prey?
And yet, every ti I rembered his inner thoughts — that strange, unguarded softness my chest tightened in confusion.
What if... what if the witch was right? What if the only way out of this nightmare was through the very monster who terrified ?
The thought made nauseous. But the fear of staying here forever trapped in this strange world, hearing his thoughts until I went mad was worse. I had to try.
The next day, I woke early again. My hands shook as I brushed my hair, as I tied my apron. My reflection in the small cracked mirror looked haunted — but determined. My lips moved without sound, whispering the words that had beco a prayer and a curse all at once. He must fall in love with . I carried the tray of breakfast through the silent corridor, my footsteps echoing softly against the cold stone. Every creak of the floorboards made flinch. When I reached his door, I paused, took a deep breath, and knocked.
This ti, he answered. "Co in."
His voice was calm almost too calm. I entered slowly, setting the tray on the table. His eyes followed the entire ti, sharp and unreadable. The silence felt alive, crawling over my skin like cold fingers.
"Inner Voice: "She looks different today. Tense. Afraid. Hiding sothing."
I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to stay steady. "Your breakfast, Alpha."
He didn’t look away. "You’ve been coming early," he said after a pause.
"I... I want to serve properly."
"Inner Voice: "Lie. She’s lying."
I froze. My knees almost gave out.
Could he feel that I heard him? No impossible. He didn’t know. He couldn’t.
Zach’s gaze darkened slightly. "Is that so?"
"Yes, Alpha," I whispered, eyes fixed on the table. "That’s all."
He didn’t reply right away. Instead, he leaned back in his chair, studying with that quiet intensity that made it hard to breathe. I could hear his thoughts again, low and slow like a drumbeat.
"Inner Voice: "She’s afraid, but she keeps coming closer. What does she want from ?"
If only he knew. The witch’s voice slithered across my mind again.
"Closer, little flower. He must see you bloom before he can love you."
My vision blurred slightly. For a mont, I felt dizzy, like the ground was shifting beneath . I grabbed the edge of the table for balance, trying to steady myself.
He noticed. Of course, he did.
"Sit down," he ordered. "You look pale."
I shook my head quickly. "I’m fine—"
"Sit." His tone brooked no argunt.
I obeyed, lowering myself onto the edge of a chair across from him. The tension between us crackled like electricity. He poured himself a glass of water, then hesitated. I could feel the weight of his stare, heavy and unreadable.
"Inner Coice: "Why does she look so breakable? Why does it bother ?"
My breath caught. I bit my lip so hard it stung. The witch’s laughter echoed faintly in my ears.
"There. You see? It’s working."
I didn’t want it to be. I didn’t want him to feel anything not for . But if it was the only way to escape, I would endure it. Even if it ant losing my sanity in the process.
He didn’t say another word after that. Just watched silently, intently until I excused myself and left. But even as I walked away, I could feel his gaze on my back, heavy and lingering.
And I could still hear his final thought before I reached the door.
"Inner Voice: "If she keeps this up... she’ll ruin ."
That night, I dreamt of him again.
The dream was strange, thick with fog and moonlight. I was standing in the middle of the Alpha’s quarters, barefoot, wearing sothing white and soft that clung to my skin. The air shimred around . Then I saw him standing by the window, shadows swallowing half his face.
When he turned, his eyes glowed faintly silver, cold, and yet burning.
He walked toward without a word. My pulse roared. I tried to step back, but my body wouldn’t move. I was frozen, breathless, trembling.
"Ellie," he said softly too softly. "Why do you keep running?"
"I... I don’t—"
Before I could finish, he reached out, his hand cupping my cheek. His touch was warm, almost gentle, but my skin burned under it. His gaze dropped to my lips.
"You really are a wildflower," he murmured, voice barely above a whisper.
And then he kissed .
It was fleeting, ghostly, more of a breath than a touch but it sent a violent shiver through . The world blurred around us. I could feel his heartbeat pounding against mine. It was wrong. All of it was wrong. But I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t stop.
When I woke up, my hands were shaking, my heart racing so hard it hurt. The morning sun stread weakly through the window, and for a second, I thought I could still taste the dream still feel the warmth of his hand on my skin.
I pressed my palms to my face, trembling.
What’s happening to ?
The witch’s voice whispered one last ti soft and cruel.
"You see now, little flower? He’s already inside your dreams."
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